Slaves of Hope (ON HIATUS)
by Karvost
Summary: Fate has separated Team RWBY in the harsh world of Remnant: Ruby, a poor kid with above-average hacking skill doing shady jobs. Weiss, a princess who's blind to other's plight. Blake, a Faunus gladiator forced to fight to the death. Yang, a night girl with less than respectable jobs. Still, can the rebel organization White Fang bring them together to end Jacques tyranny? DystopiaAU
1. Intro I: Rose

Heya, welcome to Slaves of Hope; a new fanfic of mine. I had to abandon my old account due to external issues. Now, I'd like to say several things first. This is a dystopian AU that came into my mind after a friend questioned an excellent case; What if Vale and Vacuo had never won the Great War? What if Mantle and Mistral had won instead? What'd happen? Will Remnant ever be the same?

To be honest, that quickly gave me a lot of ideas and I think it's a shame to let those ideas go away. So, this is a dystopia AU, just like in the Hunger Games trilogy. I took several inspirations from it, although not everything, so, this ain't a crossover.

While facing some difficulties, I will write the fic as close to the canon as possible, e.g; character deaths, pairings, scenes, and much more. Yes, it's not just a simple AU, it literally is an alternative universe of Remnant.

Even if the rating is T, I'll put a warning here; while I don't write graphical bloody gore and sexual stuff, there's still a little mention and suggestive scenes in this fic. My friends had recommended putting this fic at M rating, but I think I've watered down most of the intense stuff, so T should do. Just to be safe, there'll be warning before each chapter, regarding the individual chapter's content.

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 _Special thanks to **TheQuillan** and **Clementine Davidson** for helping me with the ideas and even read the drafts of my writing, also for supporting me when I'm so down even to write a paragraph. You guys are the best._

Beta Reader: **Clementine Davidson -** _Who also gave me this awesome fic title._

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Rated **T** \- _for the mention of stripper job._

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 _"This world is for the taking. You will never survive if you hesitate. So, accept being the lowest class and make due; beggars can't be choosers, after all."_

Intro I:

 **Rose**

* * *

1:06 AM.

From inside the white van with an ice cream logo painted on its side, Ruby Rose held total control of this mission. Sitting before several holo-screens, she was the brain and technical hacker for her team. Young, she might be, but with what-so-called-illegal _job_ she and her partners in crime had been doing, she considered herself an adult already. Milk did help her growth. It was _not_ a myth.

Her fingers danced on the keyboard, cracking the decryption code for the vault's security lock. It wasn't a big bank robbery, no, that one would put them in the headline for more than several weeks. Too much risk. Instead, they're targeting the rich people of Vale; those who live in the upper-class district. There were no local banks in this kingdom but one.

Unfortunately, it was said that contained every Lien the poorer residents managed to store after the choking tax. She and her team agreed wholeheartedly not to steal from them. While so, they were no Robin Hood; the tale of a hero who stole from the rich and gives to the poor. They rob for themselves, since well, it's an always easier job. With her intelligence, she learned everything about hacking since she was thirteen. Finding an associate was not a hard job; they were everywhere. What was hard is to get the dependable ones. Fortunately for her; she had connections from her sister.

Her mom wouldn't have approved what they were doing. Alas, she wasn't here.

Sure, this job was and will always be risky, but it was the only way for her to help her half-sister put food on the table. She didn't want to be a burden to her family after their father shut down and got fired from his job. The young girl understood what her sister had been doing to keep them going on in life. Yang Xiao Long; that was her name. And she had a less than respectable job as a nightclub stripper. Flashing every asset she had to the customers and letting them touch more than a polite manner would allow. That's the definition of her job.

Not even counting the times Ruby became suspicious of used test packs that suddenly appeared in their trash bin. She didn't want to know the possibilities, but one thing for sure; she wanted her sister to stop. Sure, Yang's job was daily and provided a constant stream of money compared to hers. It could take weeks before her leader does another robbery. What would they eat during waiting for that? It was always what Yang pointed out whenever she tried to talk to her.

She made a good point, though.

Still, it didn't stop the guilt from gnawing in Ruby's heart, seeing in what condition her sister always came home. Yang, being herself, always good at hiding her pain and suffering. She forced herself to become the family backbone ever since their father was put out of commission in his heartbreak. It was also luck that their uncle, Qrow, helped with financial problems. Nobody knew what he'd been doing; the usually drunken man never talked a lot. He only came by to drop money, asked how the girls were faring, and then gone in the morning. Of course, it helped a bit although, never enough.

Both Ruby and Yang loved him, almost like a second father. Unfortunately, he'd been gone for months without any words.

Admittedly, it all had gone pretty well; a routine in their simple life. While they couldn't afford a house, the family managed to rent a small cheap apartment in the city with their savings. It was something they were grateful of. Most of the poorest people had to struggle for survival near the outskirts of Vale, where it had a high risk of casualties during the Grimm attacks despite Atlesian knights and automatic turrets. Perhaps, it's because the government was too niggard to have an adequate number of defenders on the border. Yet, it taught the outsider people to kill their emotion and self-expression, because only with that they could avoid attracting the Grimm.

Smart choice; saving a lot of Lien and effectively get rid of the poor in an unnoticeable way.

They said it was important to press down your feelings and be like a rock. While the Grimm always preys on mankind, it seemed they prefer those with more negative emotions than stoic ones. Ruby hadn't seen the theory being put into action with her own eyes, but she decided not to tempt them. She couldn't even remember the last time she laughed freely. It seemed like years ago when her silver eyes gleamed in laughter. Nowadays, she could only do as much as a satisfied smile whenever her job got completed without a hitch.

Suddenly, her scroll vibrated.

Ruby shot up on her chair and began fumbling for the source in panic. She rarely got any calls during a mission; it could bring danger to her mission. Her boss didn't need to tell her how a scroll's radio signal could interrupt their jamming system, she already knew it. Not including that it was a distraction for her should she need to give an assistance or warning. However, as the silver-eyed girl successfully handled the scroll, she let out a sigh of relief upon reading the caller's ID.

 _Yang Xiao Long._

She tried to guess what caused her sister to call at this hour. Then, she winced after realizing her undoing. This must be about it. Inwardly, Ruby cursed her idiocy for not remembering to fill out the note. There was always a rule in their house, whenever someone left the house for long until night or next day, they had to leave a note telling the reason and expected time of returning. That way, everyone else could keep track of what's going on.

Even though she knew it only applies for Yang and her since their father was too disoriented to as much go to the kitchen. Ruby sighed. Nevermind that, she had to make this quick.

"Hi, Yang," she greeted.

 _"Hey, sis."_ Yang's voice looked exhausted. Still, she managed to crack a sarcasm, _"Going out late again? I only got a blank memo here. Guess what; the ink disappeared magically?"_

"Haha... uh, well," the silver-eyed girl chuckled weakly. "I may have-um, forgotten to write it."

The older sister sighed from next line. _"Don't you get it? I thought you got caught in a trouble after school! Ruby, I've told you several times; tell me whenever you're doing another job."_

"Look, Yang, I really am sorry!" Her breath quickened as a red blink flashed on the console, signaling an interruption of her hacking software by the security measure. She quickly prattled, "Sorry, Yang I won't do that again, but right now, I got emergency-gottagoseeyou!"

 _Click!_

Her sister was not going to be happy about this. She could deal with that later. Right now, she had a job to do and a high-end encryption to decrypt. They must be waiting for the next one already. Time is of the essence; ten seconds late and they could miss an opportunity to escape from the authorities. Ruby knew the consequence of this job, but it paid well, so she didn't see any reason not to play with the risks. Just like Yang, only her sister took it to the next level.

 _"Red, Red?! Do you copy?!"_ A male's voice crackled out from her headset.

"Yes, Romeo, I copy!" she squeaked, still from the panic. Realizing it was no way an acceptable reply, she cleared her throat and replied calmer, "Yes, I got you. Is there any problem? I mean, the cameras didn't show any hostiles in your direction."

 _"Look, Little Red. We're the one out here risking our skins, not you. I'd appreciate if you help more by not throwing our lives away, so stay focus! You hear that?"_ he hissed.

Ruby grimaced. "Yes, understood, sir! Sorry!"

She could hear him harrumphing in displeasure and annoyance. Fortunately for her, he decided to let this one pass. The lecture could wait later after they finished the robbery. So instead, he spoke, _"Look, we'll talk about that later. I wanna know; how much longer will it take? It's two minutes away from the deadline. We gotta get out of here ASAP."_

The young girl blinked. Her eyes flitted back to the main screen where it showed her virus' halted progress. It seemed the security had multiple fallbacks and layers. It couldn't be breached with her original variant. To make it work, she had to modify her coding to inject higher level commands. In a shorter way, it needed a special touch. The girl cracked her knuckles, preparing to destroy the digital security. Two minutes; after that, they had to abort it or risk getting caught. Not a problem, she could do faster.

No pressure.

~-x-~

The ginger-haired man huffed after he released the button on his wireless earphone. On his side, a small woman with mismatched eyes watched him in boredom. She let out a silent yawn, ignoring her infuriated partner. Honestly, it was pretty amusing to see him in such a frenzy like this. No matter what could happen, she could and would save them both easily. However, he was worried about losing their important asset, that Ruby girl, to the cops. They could get away, but not her.

While she wouldn't admit it, that girl actually made a better hacker than her. Sure, she could break into simple security lock and made basic viruses that could gather information from their victims, but whenever it was getting harder, Ruby got the calls. Changing user permissions, or retrieving higher access key was beyond her. She suited herself better as her boss' assistant in the field, while their pet could work behind those boring screens filled with colorful lines of code.

Oh, sorry. Did she just call her a pet? Ah, poor naive girl. If it wasn't for her ingenuity, he would have disposed of her a long time ago when she found out they were the infamous mysterious thieves that had been stealing from many people for years. Back in that time, both of them were surprised when Ruby-with every ounce of her courage- asked to join their small group. She had no fighting skill, no. It was their goon's jobs. They almost laughed when she said she knew everything about their fancy works. Only after she showed the proofs, they instantly went silent.

She liked the silver-eyed girl. So, after a small persuasion, they took Ruby in to fulfill the role she had left. She didn't mind at all. It meant more thrill-filled time with her boss. After that, everything was history and now Ruby had become an in disposable tool for their operations. Losing her could be catalytic, and the multicolor-haired girl didn't want to do any paperwork to get her out. Nevermind that; she'll be dead already. Stealing was punishable up to death, depending on what you stole.

Judging from the expensive onyx Bishop statue they were about to whisk away, that sounded like it.

This large manor belonged to the Winchester family; a band of racist people with enough wealth to feed every single starving kids of the outsider's area. It was said that they owned a squad of Faunus slaves. What those were for wasn't their business. Now that the whole family had left for Vytal Gladiator Tournament, the house would be unoccupied for a long time. Enough for them to play around with, or rather, steal the expensive stuff. However, they were infiltrating the house just to get one expensive artifact and be gone before someone else noticed. By the looks, it seemed a lot harder than she expected, but not something they couldn't handle.

The dark room was glowing a dim green with her night-vision glasses. It could see people through the wall by tracing their body heat, although she had never gotten to use it. Ruby had everything scoured clean with her 3D scanner mini-drone. If any, they simply choose a safer path to avoid detection. Atlas tech were true wonders, but it was the silver-eyed girl who combined and made them work. Without her, they'd probably still stuck to their dangerous old way; melting the vault's door.

She took in the lavishly decorated surrounding. There were a lot of sofas, couches, and armchairs forming a crude circle; all of them had soft plush brown velveteen material. In the center was a low oval coffee table with black metal feet and dark glass covered by a small silk tablecloth. Despite having several bright lamps, the room still featured an old-style golden candle holder. She wondered how much would it fetch in the black market. And then, she remembered, they'd get caught before they could take it away after detaching it.

Needless to say, it appeared that they hosted tea parties pretty often here. Cute.

Meanwhile, the ginger-haired in a bowler hat cursed the heavens above. He only wanted a simple hit-and-run robbery; his favorite game plan. But that little Red certainly took her time decrypting the security code. Emerald eyes glared at his scroll that had been plugged to the lock for last three minutes. Sure, they still got enough time before reaching a dangerous deadline at 1:10, but he never liked close-calls. Most thieves were bold; they always took more than necessary risks.

Roman Torchwick was not like most thieves. He lied, cheated, stole, and so far, had survived for long. Why play with the cops if you can come out clean?

 _It was why those idiots got caught and sentenced off to Vacuo_ , he thought dryly.

The man resisted the urge to pull out a stick of cigar. He could use some tobacco to relax. Unfortunately, he'd somehow lost his lighter. It was his favorite, and no matter how much his partner told him to let it go, he swore he would find it back. He couldn't possibly misplaced it. Someone must've stolen the lighter when he turned a blind eye. In meantime, a pack full of finest cigarette was no use without a fire. Damn it.

This operation couldn't go up in the smoke. He had been planning it months away between other schedules. Contrary to popular belief, a thief did have a schedule and timeline. They didn't just bust or sneak in randomly and steal everything in sight. Yes, it was easy to take, but it was difficult to cover your tracks. Most of the amateurs usually neglected that second part, unconsciously making a time bomb that would one day blow up in their face.

He smirked. Amateurs were always funny. They made several brief appearances on the newspaper, before being sent to Vacuoan Dust mines as slave labors. Once you got yourself sent there, you worth no more than the Faunus workers. It was a nightmare that haunted a criminal's life. Another reason why criminal activities were low at most places. Those who managed to pull it off and live under the radar, though, they were the best in illegal works.

Many people were too scared to do as much as something bordering the shady line. Really, he couldn't blame them. He could have opted to live a normal, stagnant poor life compared to this one. Unfortunately, he was a bold man. Mind you, this guy needed a nice outfit and flashy lifestyle. It would not do to stay like those uniform dummies. He and his small band of thugs preferred an action-filled one, thank you very much.

The authorities could eat his crap.

He checked the digital watch and scoffed. Okay, Red was going to get a big problem-or rather, the lack of payment- when they got out from this. Another twenty seconds and they'd have to bail out before the main hourly body heat scanner goes back online. The prize could wait, but the cops wouldn't. The man tipped his bowler hat and wondered, what was she doing that caused this big delay? He'd need to reschedule everything-

 _Ping!_

The LED indicator went green, signaling the access request was accepted. He smiled widely as the thick metal door let out a small sigh of escaping air. His gloved hands grabbed the handle and pull it on, opening a way to their prize. It sure was cold and chilly inside the vault, but he didn't give a damn about it for now. The priceless artifact probably required a controlled storage temperature. Meh, whatever. Mental note to himself; he was going to need a substitute fridge for safe keeping.

His smile turned into a lazy smirk. It's about time.

 _"Alright, Red. We're going in."_

Silently, the multi-colored girl stepped into the vault. Her partner in crime followed shortly afterward. Using the night-vision glasses, they wasted no time making their way through the minefield of laser-based movement detectors-now deactivated thanks to Ruby's meddling.

Said girl was smiling to herself in her mobile headquarters. Another job finished. They just need to get out, which was easier than getting in, to be honest. And then, they'd be home-free. She should buy Yang something, just apologize for... well, everything.

However, it seemed fate wasn't willing to make the night any easier for the three of them. A notification popped up on the corner of her screen, alerting incoming people. At this moment, everyone else that wasn't them is considered hostile. Silver eyes narrowed as three red dots appeared on the hologram map. They were heading towards the duo at a fast walking speed. Apparently, someone had noticed the disturbance they made and decided to go check it by themselves.

"Why, hello there, Precious," the man in bowler hat crooned as he beheld their goal; the dark-colored artifact.

His partner rolled her eyes at his childish words. However, one second later, she tensed. The air changed as if somebody had gotten to their position.

They're not alone.

The girl scanned around their surroundings, which was a just thick metal wall with various laser detector stations stuck on its surface. Whoever they were, those enemies were still far away, although she was sure they're closing in fast. She was about to notify him when his earphone crackled, _"Romeo, three incoming. Get out of there!"_

As expected, that instantly soured his mood. Still, the man acknowledged her warning with a grumble, "Just when I thought this would be the easiest heist we've ever done."

He snatched the small statue -their prize- quickly. Beside him, the multicolor-haired girl ever helpfully opened their briefcase. Within a few seconds, the statue was placed firmly inside the brown briefcase, before he shut it with a soft click. Auto-lock is always handy. Signaling it's time to go, the girl motioned her hand to urge him on. They're really close to the danger. He nodded in agreement, and the two of them dashed out.

"Stop!" a warning stopped them in track. "Put your hands up in the air!"

He thought; _wonderful._

Apparently, they miscalculated the time the security officers would come. It didn't change the plan, though. He smirked. Oh, how he always loved the thrill. Ever slowly, he turned around to the hostiles. Beside him, his assistant did the same, albeit purposefully more sensual with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She's already anticipated this bump on the road. It seemed the securities had no idea who they were dealing with.

Or, they probably had, judging from the nervous expression on their faces. One of them disengaged the safety lock in his gun. It's the basic protocol to deal with burglars; disable or kill them on sight. It's also the reason why there was no giant prison in this kingdom to deal with criminals. They simply dump the body outside the border for the Grimm to feast on. Way more economical and simpler. However, it took more than a simple thief that dared to break into one of the most famous noble family house in Vale.

They were positive these two knew the risk and wanted to play with it.

The man in bowler hat decided to play along with them. His smirk was hidden in the gloomy situation. He slowly raised his hands up, purposefully even slowing further half-way. The securities took that as a cue to relax a little, but what a big mistake they made. The cane in his hand made out a soft pop as a crosshair glass came out from the muzzle end that's pointed to the unexpecting trio.

He grinned and pulled the trigger. "Boom, baby."

A highly concentrated Dust explosive shell shot out from the muzzle. It screamed a loud whistle while flying toward the guards. Several pairs of eyes widened at once. They could barely yell before the ground in front of them exploded in a fireball. The floor shattered and its broken pieces took flight, scattering to every direction. The explosion sent those guards flying backward; consciousness instantly leaving them. Several dull thumps followed afterward as the bodies hit the wall a few meters away behind them.

Only after studying his handiwork, he did notice the glare that was sent toward him from his little assistant. He cocked his head confusedly and asked, "Come on, what's the matter, Neo?"

The mute girl rolled her eyes and signed; _'Show off.'_

"Well, I wouldn't have if-"

The alarm ran off. He cursed and quickly spurred into action. Internally, he should've expected they were sent to delay his escape. Now, the entire mansion was in a lockdown, meaning no one can enter and leave until the cops arrived. Fortunately, there was still someone he and Neo could depend on. He pressed the earpiece and yelled, "Red! Get us out of here quick!"

~-x-~

"Ah, ah! Yes! I got it!" Ruby panicked. "Hang on, the bullhead is already on the way to the meeting point. Just go there and I'll get you out of here!"

" _Alright!"_

Chaos ensued as the silver-eyed girl went furiously typing on the computer. She already got most of the access points in this manor, thanks to her drone. However, there was still stuff that she needed to look into. Apparently, the lockdown procedure involved thick, sliding metal doors that would immediately trap everyone inside and prevent anyone to enter. She just needed to find the code lines and tweak them so that the doors will return back to the default opened state. She loved calling it 'reset button'. What a funny name.

Her eyes scanned the terminal, swiftly zipping from left to right as she studied the lines of code. She scrolled several times and growled in frustration when finding none related to what she was looking for. They must've put it somewhere deeper underneath several layers of decoy and blocker for an extra security. Smart move, but it'd never hold her too long. She's simply an expert at this. The girl's thin lips pursed in annoyance, but she kept searching using her pre-made brute-force algorithm.

 _Soon, guys_ ; she promised.

~-x-~

When they ran through the deserted hallway, Neo began to think of how many things they could improvise from this point. Her style was to sneak in and out, not to cause any useless chaos like this one. While sometimes the man on her side didn't mind getting involved in action-packed heists, she did. But just her luck, she had to play a part in this tag game. She should really get a raise after this done.

Her mismatched eyes flicked from one painting to another, hung on the wall. To say they were ugly was a lie, but she was still disgusted at watching those oh-so-called 'noble' faces. Furthermore after remembering how ignorant they were. They could laugh at superfluous dinner with tons of food, disregarding how everyone else outside this manor-including her, previously-only eat meager shit and starved to the death. They simply didn't care.

She unconsciously curled her hands in a suppressed rage. If it were up to her, she will be here when they came home. And well, what else she could do with the concealed blade in her parasol? She smiled sadistically, savoring the thought.

The loud slam several meters in front of them interrupted her thoughts. It seemed they were a _little_ too late. A large barricade made of metal blocked their path. The fresh air was just a few turns behind it, where their rendezvous point would be. Once they got there, they'd be home-free. Unfortunately, they had to go through this first. On her left, Roman grumbled inaudibly, but judging from his calm expression, there seemed to be no problem.

After all, they had _her_ on their side. So, they waited.

~-x-~

"Almost there... almost,"Ruby muttered.

Her eyes weren't blinking for the past twenty-five seconds, too engrossed watching and writing the command overwrite to free her associates. Her drone hovered low at the meeting point, while its jamming system worked to disable the security camera. No one needs to know what vehicle they used to escape. The virus had worked; it only took her less than a minute to figure out how to reverse the emergency doors back to normal. And now, she's putting the script into action.

 **public_dec root as admin**

 **def inp = /**

 **_cDef(i) ( { inp = i ? null : [?!d|?=w].replace(/disallow/gi, 'allow') } );**

 **_cDef( admin );**

 _And... gotcha!_ She ran the code.

The red warning turned green, signaling her command had been executed. Ruby had never been happier after seeing the capital 'OPEN' word. She pumped her fist excitedly. That was one job done. It was also why they trusted her in situations like this. Her skill had been tested several times, although she was proud to admit; this one was a new record and a peak in her career. No one else had ever tried testing themselves against security like she did.

Of course, like every professional should do, she also erased any trace of her virus in the system. Else, they could track it back to her. In place of her special variant of trojan malware, she put in an adware that advertises _cute_ puppies. Admittedly, the girl swooned a little at their sight. She'd always wanted one, but her savings were never enough to buy her animal foods.

She chided herself; _Forget it, Ruby._

Several moments later after the deletion completed, Ruby let out a relieved breath as the camera on her drone captured them waving and making theirs toward it. Roman wore a big grin on his face, while Neo only put a small smile. She panned the camera, watching as the duo dashed past the drone and into the open ramp of the bullhead that hovered down; their ride back home. The two turned to the camera and mock-saluted.

She smiled. Her left hand rose and copied the motion. It's a job well done.

~-x-~

Half-moon. Half-scattered.

The night's natural illumination seeped through the small hole into the room, providing a gloomy lighting. Through the flaked paint and some cracks on the wall, it's clear that this warehouse has been abandoned a long time ago. However, several people did find this place and decided it's still in good shape for the meeting of various less-than-legal transactions and less-than-respectable jobs. Take these four as an example. They surrounded a low stool, their dark figures cast several faint shadows on the cement floor. Cliché, just like their shady work.

"This one's for you."

The ginger-haired man patted down a stack of Liens on the table. Immediately, the pilot's burly hand greedily scooped them up while he flashed them a wicked yellowish toothy grin. After being dismissed, he left them right away, eager to use the dirty money for his entertainment. Ruby opted to twiddle with her red cape; the signature article of her red-black outfit. The girl watched silently as the door of their main headquarter slammed shut.

"This one's yours, Neo," said the ginger-haired man with a smile. "Although, you might need to stop getting ice cream. Seriously, it's unhealthy."

Said girl pouted and for the first time tonight, displaying a show of immaturity by shaking her head indignantly like a five years old toddler denied her toy. Apparently, the man had gotten used to her little antics, since he only shook his head in amusement. She continued pouting, but her hands flashed briefly as the money chips vanished into the air. Illusion; that's her semblance. Although it had been a while since Ruby was told about Neo's semblance by her boss, she still envied the smaller girl.

What wouldn't she give to have a cool ability like that?

Unfortunately, she's just Ruby Rose, a girl who didn't even have her Aura unlocked, yet. Only those who wished to join the military could get their Auras activated, or the noble and wealthy people of the upper-class district, since they're a bunch of pussies. They got every protection they needed; human guards, droids, Aura, and et cetera. Meanwhile, the poor people had to fend themselves using whatever they could scrap from the junks.

It was why the difference between them existed like a wide chasm.

She had asked once. When she requested these two to help to unlock her Aura, they simply laughed(Neo didn't let out any sound, though) and waved her off. What was her place; daring to ask such a thing? Having your Aura unlocked was a very useful and dangerous thing to possess, which was why no one in the government had ever mentioned it. They're afraid if people know how to use their Aura, there'll be breakouts and restlessness stirring in the entire kingdom. Aura could strengthen and change them into more than mere humans, after all.

The theory was proven; having an unlocked Aura will bring the authority to your doorstep. She had witnessed how her neighbor and history teacher, Professor Bartholomew Oobleck, was whisked away in the dead of night to God-knows-where. No one heard anything about him ever since. Rumors spread like a wildfire, sneaking from whispers through windows, he had found out a way to activate someone's Aura. She wished she'd gone to him before it happened.

Now, finding someone who could do that sounded like a dream so far beyond her.

She's jolted back to reality when a collection of thumps shook her out of the futile thoughts. The man flicked the Lien chips one by one onto the table, his lips smirking with a lit cigar slipped between them. Ruby eyed the money cautiously, while her brain counted them up. Her boss was a man of untrustable past with his credibility as a liar and thief, but he always paid his henchmen fair and well. Those whose skills were crucial in their operations got paid the highest, including her. However, after the small incident tonight, she didn't dare to hope.

Silver eyes widened when she finished summing the number up. Why did he give her so much?

"Umm... isn't this too much?"

"Oh?" The man glanced at her, then motioned to himself and the multicolor-haired girl. "Well, I never made any mistakes in counting, Red. If you mind, then I'm sure Neo would love an extra cash. She's going to stuff our fridge full, you know."

Neo rolled her eyes in amusement as her partner's words succeeded turning the genius hacker into a stammering fool. The girl's arms flailed around in panic, as expected. Poor lad, if being treated like this could send her into a frenzy, one could guess what would happen if she's unleashed outside. Compared to common thugs and mafias, the duo was somewhat kinder. You couldn't just take control with force. There was stuff that needs special treatment and play of words in order to get them off their way.

"No, no! I mean, I appreciate this so much, thank you!" the girl stuttered while she quickly swiped the desk clean before anyone decided to claim the chips. She'd get the money rather than complain unnecessarily. He wasn't someone she'd want to argue with.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Off you go, Red," he dismissed their red-hooded hacker uncaringly. "Don't you think it's already past the curfew?"

Ruby blew him a cherry. "It's always been past my curfew, Roman!"

After making sure everything was secure, she walked out from the warehouse after bidding a farewell and goodnight to them both. Roman, no matter how annoying he could be sometimes, had always been like an older brother to her. The same applied for Neo who had helped giving Ruby an access to join their small group. They were her siblings-at-arms. While she wouldn't admit, Ruby actually loved them. Besides Yang, Uncle Qrow, and their dad, she had no one else.

~-x-~

A blond man sat still on the couch. His hands held an old cracked photograph. It captured the scene when there was four of them. Four people. Two of which who'd became women he loved the most before disappearing one by one. Another was a young man with crimson eyes and shitty attitude as most people would claim, Qrow. That guy was a natural asshole to everyone, but he's his brother-in-law and the best uncle his girls could get. Then, there's himself, looked so young and have the aura of a troublemaker around him.

Ah, what wouldn't he give to return in these old days?

Back then, they were simply students studying in hope to pave a brighter future than their parents. So innocent and naive to what the world had in store. Unfortunately, it was too late by the time they realized that. Only the rich those could survive. The poor were fated to perish in many ways; the Grimm, hunger, plague, and disease. It's the law of life here. Raven denied that and chose to leave to nowhere and gather people who had the same worldview with her.

They'd fight and oppose everyone else. The strong survive and the weak die.

Admittedly, every normal people would agree on the first fact, but they will at least try to help the weaklings. But not with her tribe, they tolerate nothing. There would be no place for you in there if you weren't strong enough. Many times, he's tempted to join them, but Qrow held him firm. The crimson-eyed man told him; No matter what, it's still wrong. Tainting your hands every day with innocents' blood was something atrocious when you could've tried to eliminate the root of this problem; the tyrant leader of Remnant's united kingdoms.

 _Jacques Schnee._

~-x-~

The door to their flat creaked open before Ruby stepped in gingerly, afraid of being caught red-handed. Actually, this had been a recurring instinct each time she went home from her late night jobs. While Yang always condoned her and knew it was for an extra number in their bank account, she still felt the elder girl wasn't pleased. Her sister cared a lot about them. Too much, that she took every matter into her hands. It ate her slowly from the inside.

Yawning widely due to her usual lack of sleep, Ruby locked the door several times with multiple locks. Then, she took in the view of their small living quarter while hanging her beloved cape. Aside from an old analog TV that's turned off and a small fridge, their room didn't feature any valuable stuff. To keep the clothing, they had large plastic drawers and two small buckets to put the dirty laundry into. Their living room also served a purpose as a kitchen with a small stove that's rarely used nowadays. Ruby and Yang preferred to order the food or buy them outside. Only at breakfast, they baked toast with jam-strawberry flavor was always her favorite.

While the flat itself wasn't so clean, she'd make sure to have at least a small room perfume to keep most of the awful stench away. It's the only thing they could call as a luxury. Since they didn't have a personal toilet, they're forced to make due with the community one which was sad to say, a far cry from adequate. Each day, many people used it in a queue and even with words, it's hard to describe what sickening stench the public room smelled-as terrible as it could reach through their door. She shoved the thought away and inhaled the aroma around here. It smelled of home. It'd always been.

Everything was still in order just as when she left, save for a few additional articles of revealing clothing scattered on the ironing desk, which belonged to Yang. Her blonde-haired sister was always too tired to do domestic works whenever she arrived home. It's up to Ruby and their dad to clean up the mess and dirt. If they're lucky, he'd have remembered to cook them a simple dinner. It's one of the best times before his trauma worsened.

Now, his days were always bad.

Ruby sighed tiredly and approached her dad. Not even as much as a 'hi' or 'where've you been?' came from him. He stayed silent all the time after shutting down, forcing the duo to take care of him with the only help from their uncle. She didn't know how long they can keep this up. Even with their jobs paying the whole expense, there's always a threat looming on the horizon. What if she got caught? What if Yang run into trouble? The possibilities were endless, especially since their jobs weren't safe and legal.

The girl leaned down and pecked her father on his cheek. Hollow blue eyes didn't even blink when she did. "Good night, Dad."

Already expecting the lack of response, Ruby said nothing else. She left him and strolled exhaustedly to her small room. Her hands sluggishly pushed the door to swing open. The room was never been the best she'd ever seen in her life, but it's pretty cozy despite the rock-hard mattress. Most people would complain of their aching backs in the morning, yet Ruby never did. She was always too burned out after jobs like this one to whine over petty things.

The small box underneath her bed was the secret place where she stored every single chip of her hard-earned Liens. It only used a small lock, but with the concealed position, it sure was very safe. The sound of the lock clicked in place was satisfying, but Ruby wasted no time. She deserved at least several hours of sleep, even though her body requested several days instead. After putting her scroll on the cracked surface of her nightstand, she set the old alarm clock to ring at seven. With a thin satisfied smile, the girl flopped onto her bed. She threw her black boots down with a thump, followed by her short leggings.

As her back touched the welcoming mattress, Ruby stared at the yellowish old ceiling, apart from its age and lamp glow. She chanted in her mind; _steal, eat, live, repeat._

With a content sigh, the girl turned off the only illumination and shut her eyelids.

A faint familiar voice began singing;

 _Red like roses..._

 _Fills my dream and brings me to the place you rest..._

Even with the tears streaming out from her closed eyes, Ruby smiled in her sleep.

~-x-~

* * *

 ** _AN:_**

And that's Intro I. There'll be three more intros coming, but don't expect them to come out anytime soon. I'm being surged with many issues right now and I just want to get this out of my ideas box. However, I'll try to write whenever the opportunity arises.

Critics are welcome because I've always wanted to be a better writer than before. Feel free to ask questions regarding this AU.

Peace out,

 **~ Kvithr**


	2. Intro II: Aster

Wow, the positive responses were actually surprising for me. Like, okay, this is the first time I get 'this' many. For real, it's very uplifting. Thank you so much, guys, even though I can't reply directly to your reviews due to me being busy(sorry!).

Writing every characters to make them... 'in character' is pretty hard. Even Clementine had suggested a very clever point I missed out; using big words for Weiss. Can't go easy with the Ice Queen's high-level language and well, whatever it's called. Grammar or something.

Still, hopefully, I managed to pull it off for Weiss. Keep in mind that this Intro contains flashback, indicated by italic. I'll leave it to you for read. Go ahead.

* * *

 _Apparently, Clementine was busy with stuff, so she can't beta this chapter. In her place, I used Grammarly to kill any ridiculous grammar error-most of them. I'll still dedicate this fic to my good friends Azxc, TheQuillan-who's hit hard with school(lol), Clementine for being an awesome writer... eh, I digress._

Beta Reader: **Osmond** – _myself._

* * *

Rated **T** – for gore and negative thoughts _(what? Don't laugh at me)._

* * *

" _Why can't people just stop complaining for once? We had gave them everything they asked, and there seems to be no end to their request. What a bunch of degenerates."_

Intro II:

 **Aster**

* * *

 _The clicking sound of lady stilts echoed in the amphitheater of Signal as Weiss Schnee entered the stage cautiously. The princess peered through the break of thick fabric that obscured her from anyone outside. After a moment, she decided it was safe. She shouldered her way through the crimson silk curtain, icy blue eyes scanning the surrounding. Mute silence greeted her. There was nobody here. Not even a lost soul sat on the plush seat in rows of the audience._

 _After all, she wasn't supposed to be here._

 _Her gaze fell onto the glassy floor surface, where it depicted a frowning reflection of her perfect face._ _The bright headlights cast onto the stage was blinding, but she's used to them. When you're a number two important figure in this world with a princess' title stamped before your name, people tend to shower you with attention and what-so-ever related stuff like that. But she had got enough. Darn those paparazzi._

 _The white-haired princess took a tentative step. Her long bun tail swished on her right; an off-center that ruined every proportion in her figure. It was a subtle trait of her rebellion-one of some she'd kept, just to irritate her father. She touched her icicle-shaped tiara that pinned her hair, making sure it wasn't loose in its place. The precious treasure was an inheritance from her mother; both of them so dear to her. It's a symbol, although, of what, she wasn't sure._

 _And it was said the very thing on her head could fetch a very high price-almost as a bullhead's. Silly people, like she'd sell it at any price. Weiss scoffed._

 _In this dead silence, the princess began remembering the piano tunes she'd heard. They're soft and melodious, soothing her soul. She let them gently carry her away, to where no one had ever ventured before. Her light blue skirt fluttered as she hopped forward, and it quickly bloomed into a circle while she landed gracefully on her feet. The_ _closed_ _eyes didn't see; she trusted her other senses. Being a princess meant you have to be full of grace._

 _Such as not a single foot out of place._

 _The melody was getting wilder. She wasn't sure if it was following her dance or the opposite instead. Only her ears heard the music, only her lips whispering the inaudible lyrics, and only her body knew what it was doing. She's possessed. The dancing girl was no longer a princess. No, her father would never allow her to do as much as a short whistle. As a future leader, she was supposed to represent the example of everyone in Remnant should become._

 _A stoic person that wouldn't attract any Grimm creatures._

 _But Weiss Schnee was sick of that. Sick of being told what to do and what not to do. Just for once, she wanted to be herself-not a bird in a golden cage with premium seeds as its food. She wanted to express her frustration, but alas, she can't. Negative emotions would lead to Grimm, and that means more limelight on her despite how safe she was in this high-class district of Patch._

 _As a very important person, she deserved an all kind of security; human bodyguards, android guards, and an extra secure estate with built-in anti-toxic air circulator. Every preventive measure she needed was here, and it was even stricter than in her homeland, Atlas. She'd wondered what they are for, once. It didn't make sense since the island of Patch was a known haven for noble families._

 _The only notable dangers were the Beowolves and Creeps lurking in the western cliff-side forest. Nothing but their automatic turrets could handle, assuming those prowlers of the night managed to scale the tall electrical wire-barbed wall of their district. It sounded nigh impossible already. If there's any, it would be threats from outside the island itself. To get here, you'll have to go through the strict boarding process in high-security Port of Vale, where it was impossible to pickpocket there without getting caught._

 _Should any danger arise, the nobles of Patch Island would be evacuated using airlift to a safer place. In shorter words; they've got everything covered._

 _Weiss twirled, her figure spinning fast yet elegantly at the same time as the melody was nearing its climax. She spread her arms wide to keep her balance. The polished floor was smooth, making it easier for the girl to do a perfect form, even though every dancer knew how hard it was to stay on one foot without stumbling. But she was a Schnee; everything a Schnee do must always be perfect. And she had practiced countless times without her father's knowledge._

 _Until one time he found out when she was singing, once._

 _"What are you going to do with that... such a pointless skill, my daughter? It has no use here," her father said sternly, but she could sense the hidden venom and mockery in his tone._

 _Weiss frowned, distracted by the sudden flashback. It always came_ _sometimess_ _to haunt her whenever she was doing what she love_ _d_ _. Less than a second later, she realized her undoing. Icy blue eyes opened wide as the princess stumbled and lost her balance. She let out a cry of panic. Arms outstretched to cushion herself on the hard landing. Weiss braced herself for the inevitable._

 _Pain shot up her limbs as Weiss crash-landed against the hard floor. Fortunately for her, she still managed to fall gracefully instead of sprawling right away. The princess winced in agony, but otherwise, she kept silent. A Schnee doesn't show their weakness. A Schnee always looks strong and noble under any circumstance. It was what's instilled into her mind since she was a mere child._

 _Even with the painful throb coursing through her limbs, Weiss still managed to remain upright while sitting with her legs trapped underneath her._

~-x-~

The white-haired girl had fallen like that so many times during her practice. But she always got herself up to make another effort, again and again. She had never stopped.

Until now.

Weiss moaned in pain while she's sprawled on the cold, leaves-covered soil. Her feeble body couldn't take resisting the pain anymore. She's used running on fumes before this, but sadly, it only took a single stone to trip and make her fall. And never to get up again. Exhausted icy blue eyes stared up into the dark starry night, covered by thick branches and leaves of the trees in this forest.

Her ragged breath made a thin mist in the cold air, despite it was summer.

The princess had only a vague idea whom she was running from, with all the chaos left far behind. She had been running with no direction and destination for the past an hour. It was all getting safely as far as possible from them-the unknown masked people who had ransacked and burnt down the once marvelous lyceum where she and other noble people were having a ball party.

It had transformed from a ballroom into a room full of screams and fire pretty abrupt.

Weiss blinked, after what felt like an eternity ever since she closed her eyes; she was on full-alert the whole time during this escapement. She finally could feel the smarting pain near her left eye. Slowly, her hand moved and hovered over the tender spot. She winced when she touched the wound. It was alarmingly wet. The girl instantaneously shot up and studied her bloodied hand. She was too injured up at this point that her wound bled.

She gritted her teeth in a vain attempt to blot out the torturous agony. Not only her eye, but her left leg seemed to be perilously wounded. She tried to guess what had caused them. But what's the use? She's in the middle of nowhere; a forest near the border of Vale, so far away from the safety of her home, Patch. There would be nobody out here to see, much less, help her. Unless the Grimm.

The cold air hadn't brushed over her again, but the girl shivered. Could this be her impromptu end? She was Weiss Schnee, the Princess of these united kingdoms of Remnant. Is this her destiny?

No, she refused it.

Mustering her last strength, the impaired princess forced herself up. She was strong and trained; she had to continue her escapement. As much as her body protested, staying here-or rather, dilly-dallying- would only let her pursuers gain the momentum to close the distance she'd been attempting to make between them. She had no idea where to go, and this torn dress wasn't making her get-away any easier.

She would have whined about the damage her clothing suffered, had this wasn't a dire situation. It was an expensive one-even by noble people standard.

After all, she's the princess who could get everything by just asking.

But not now, with her life at stake. At this moment, she just wanted to get out of this nightmare and be safe back at her living quarters in the Patch Premium Residence. That, the comforting picture of her haven, granted Weiss a resolve to continue her escape. Once again, she continued ignoring the throbbing pain. They could be dealt later when she has reached safety. The princess took another hurting step, and that's when she heard them.

The growls of hunger; they reminded the girl of the glowing blue eyes.

Suddenly, the bushes around Weiss Schnee exploded in shards of twigs and leaves.

~-x-~

 _Winter Schnee._

 _An elite Atlas military specialist whose skills was well-known even across Remnant, beside her young age. Graduated from Alsius Academy of Atlas just a year ago, the young woman rapidly rose up among her ranks and became one of few favorite officers to General Ironwood. She was always stoic, on full alert every time there's a movement around her. One could say she's the true incarnation of Ice Queen._

 _But not now._

 _The young woman was concentrating hard using her summoning glyph and ice Dust. One of her sabers was stuck in the ground tip-first, to help her focus on the task. The wind kept blowing harshly, throwing her bangs around, but Winter ignored. She was counting. One by one, albeit at a different tempo, Weiss took down her minions with ease. So far, it was already six._

 _Winter let a thin smile graced her lips. It was rare to see the specialist shows her emotion. Whereas many people thought she was as kind as a blizzard, there's still a friendlier side of the specialist. It wasn't always there because of the facade she wore, even this time. The woman didn't even intend to let her younger sibling found out. It was for Weiss own sake and safety. Then again, a full-blown praise had never tasted right on her tongue._

 _One more fell to Myrtenaster, Weiss' signature Dust rapier. Followed by other four, stabbed to the death by the girl's ice protrusion. The princess was natural when it came to Dust manipulation. If this was still too easy, then it's time to crank up the difficulty. Winter knew from her experience; you'll never get better if you don't raise the stakes._

 _From the top of the roof around their courtyard, she summoned more Beowolves; the ice reincarnation of the wolf-shaped Grimm those had fallen to her. It was way safer for her sister since Winter could control them easily using her mind. Summoning fallen Grimm was one of the unique abilities an experienced Schnee could do. Those monsters would completely take a form of living ice with glowing blue eyes and could be commanded to assist the summoner._

 _Right now, consider them as her sister's target practice._

 _Winter frowned. No matter how fluent Weiss was, the princess was still a far cry of her expectation. Admittedly, her sister lacked the experience of fighting a large number of more aggressive enemies. She had to fix it. How? By doing the test. How well could Weiss fight without her weapon? Has she become dependant on it?_

 _Weiss let out a gasp as a strong gust knocked Myrtenaster out of her hand. The opponents weren't affected; they continued to charge on her. She was defenseless._

 _Blue eyes watched calmly the scene below as her minions managed to pin her weaponless sister. And then, as the specialist had anticipated, she heard the white-dressed girl cry out her name:_

 _"Winter!"_

 _The glyph underneath her flickered before vanishing as she ended the Aura stream. At the courtyard, all the enemies immediately_ _vanished, disintegrating into snowflakes_ _as she called them back. Winter exhaled. Summoning was a tiresome ability, but the specialist had practiced using it a lot, almost like a second muscle._

 _Winter_ _jumped_ _off from the roof and landed gracefully near where her sister's rapier rested. With a flick of her saber and a gravity glyph, she flung Myrtenaster back to her sister's side. To be honest, she was proud of her sister. Looking at the girl's rebellious attitude and hard-headed persistence, Weiss was even better than her. It was why she stepped down as an heir to the throne. She knew it had to be Weiss._

 _Being a specialist wasn't an easy feat, yet she did it nonetheless so that she could get out of her father's grasp. Winter could still remember the day she declared her wish to abdicate her previous position as crown princess. It was one of the coldest days in her life. How he nodded his approval at once and brushed her aside as if she just asked for a simple ice cream. Father was never a kind and warm figure, even when they were alone._

 _The distance between them was too huge, even before Winter stepped down from the throne for Weiss._

 _But now, seeing the very person in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a disappointment; how will her sister survive in this world with so many conspirations lurking in the shadows? She couldn't even hold her own against the mindless creatures, much less the more intelligent vicious individuals. Many people thought the Grimm were the worst threat to humanity. Oh, how wrong they were._

 _It was those with cunning mind and thirst for power that possessed true danger. Because they'd do anything to reach that goal, even if it means disregarding other people's lives and makes them suffer. They're worse than the Grimm. Sweet talks, manipulations, lies, fake promises... everything. They might as well eliminate everyone in their way just like any Grimm creature; it would have been better._

 _Instead, she had to watch out for her life; who else will try to stab her from behind?_

 _It was safe to say that Weiss needed to improvise with all of those on paper. Winter gave her sister a disappointed look as she approached the still downed princess. She could've acted like any normal sister and said it's a job well done despite the failure. But Winter couldn't, not when the threats were looming on the horizon. So instead, she sighed._

" _I am not always going to be around to save you, Weiss."_

~-x-~

This moment, unfortunately, was the accurate representation of Winter's words. No amount of crying out her name could stop them.

Weiss was on her own without even a weapon. She didn't-couldn't- bring Myrtenaster to the ball, and these growls belonged to the Grimm for sure. How fast could they be at finding her? Then, the girl realized, it must be because of her current negative emotion. She cursed herself for being such an imbecile. All these years, the critical lesson drilled into her, but in the panic, she had forgotten about it-a fatal undoing.

So many red glowing eyes around her. Their actual hideous forms blended too well in the dark of night, save for several white-colored bone platings that let her conjecture their size. Just her luck, she managed to escape from the ball terror, only to run into these man-eater abominations instead. Why can't things be ever easy?

In horror and reptile brain state, Weiss almost forgot. She was supposed to calm down and strip herself of any feelings. That was the key to avoid the Grimm, or so her tutor had said. Sadly, she had no idea it'd never work when the prowlers of the night were already upon her. The girl's rational mind crumbled down while she was shaking like a leaf. This nightmare, it can't be happening, right?

For Weiss, believe it or not, that didn't make any significant change.

These monsters were going to claim her as their premium dinner, but not before hearing her last plea for help. Weiss would have none of it. She was a Schnee; she would rather go down in the fight than yell and hope a knight in shining armor appear out of nowhere to rescue her. A Schnee dies with dignity. And now, it's her turn.

She took out her last and only reserve; a small bottle of fire Dust inside her purse. The bottle was half-empty. It wasn't so much compared to the number of her enemies, but at least better than fighting empty handed. Even if she had Myrtenaster at her disposal right now, she probably couldn't hold for several minutes with her current injuries. If only she had some ice Dust, she could probably make an ice barrier to shield herself.

Unfortunately, she could only make explosions with the Dust type in her hand. That would probably push back most of the enemies and kill several, but she'll eventually run out of Dust. Perhaps, help will arrive before she's forced to submit to the foes. Weiss hoped her prayer was heard by the gods above. If they were kind enough to grant her some help, she'd be grateful.

The princess poured some red colored volatile powder into her hand as they closed in. She had to be careful; one mistake in her glyph and she'd blow herself up instead.

Weiss closed her eyes, before taking a deep breath as they lunged onto her.

~-x-~

 _For Weiss, Dust was an amazing propellant and the helper of humanity when they were hard-pressed being driven back to the void by the Grimm. Man's ingenuity and resourcefulness had helped them to find a fuel that'd be used by everyone, today. It was a wonder; from a small spark of hope in the dark storm of Grimm terrors, the ancestors managed to even the odds and drove those monsters back to start a better era for everyone. She was never bored reciting that history._

 _Dust was also mesmerizing. If only it won't explode easily due to its volatile property._

 _As a child of a noble family and most importantly, the candidate as the future leader of the Schnee Dust Company and Remnant, she's been taught everything about Dust since young. Even before she flowered, Weiss already know every single Dust type along with their unique properties just like the back of her hand. She had also begun researching her own combinations of Dust; some of them accepted by her father and eventually produced as the SDC products._

 _She was proud of that._

 _By the time the girl first started her training on the art of self-defense-at the insistence of her sister and father's support, she'd gone a long way choosing the right weapon for herself. Her style was of elegance and perfectly calculated moves, so it had to follow her as well. Something feather-light and slim, yet still durable that won't wear out in extreme uses and strong enough to withstand damages from unexpected conditions._

 _Also, a weapon that could help her focus better on projecting glyphs or manipulating Dust. Weiss couldn't believe she had found it until the first idea of Myrtenaster came to her mind. She could've chosen something more impressive; a sword that could transform into a gun with Dust ammunition, perhaps. Or, a big Dust grenade launcher that could send her opponents flying until yards away. The latter was pretty intriguing._

 _But the princess didn't. She had no problem with the expense; her family's wealth had it covered. No, she frankly only wanted the right arsenal, no matter if it was far simpler than other weapons of the wealthy families. To her, sometimes less is more._

 _It was what made she chose Myrtenaster. The silver Multi-Action Dust Rapier was lightweight, comfortable in her grip, and suited her slim form's stamina. She's not a front-line attacker; it would be years before she could_ _reach_ _that milestone. Her strength was moderate, which was why she opted not to become a heavy fighter. That, and for the brutality reason. The princess made a more excellent light yet strong fighter with her agility and precision._

 _It should be useful in most conditions since she'd conserve her energy and only attack the only critical part of her enemies using the sharp point of her blade. One stab, one kill. Efficient and admittedly, far more befitting for her title as a princess, rather than butchering them using a ridiculously large cleaver._

 _Those all wasn't the number one of her reasons, though. Myrtenaster's revolver-like chamber could store varied type of Dust, granting her diversity of Dust manipulation and versatility in fighting style during combat, regardless of the situation as long as she hadn't run out of her reserve. The rapier let her focus better on channeling and controlling her glyphs to change Dust properties, making it safer even though she's using the raw form._

 _Over time, she'd been getting so used to have Myrtenaster on her side, almost like another limb. The girl couldn't imagine how would she fare if it's gone._

 _Maybe not even half as good, even though she still excelled at Dust manipulation._

~-x-~

Now, Weiss Schnee understood what it feels to fight a losing battle.

Her blue eyes didn't even blink as she triggered another explosion that turned her enemies into dissipating dark smokes. She could feel the intense heat searing briefly. The blast was just a few feet away from her. Even to anyone who's already experienced years of training with Dust, it's still a risky action. But she had no choice; they gave her no room, and her injured feet hindered her movement. At this point, she was a static turret firing at an endless horde of enemies and running out of ammo.

No matter how precise she aimed the Dust in her to target as many enemies as possible, it seemed several more daring ones would take their place. The brightness did little other than blinding and annoying them, but it didn't take long for them to learn and shrug it off. The lack of sentience let the Grimm rush head on through anything. But Weiss was thankful they weren't smart; not attacking from all directions at once.

Provided her current state, even a normal person knew she couldn't hold any longer.

Help was too far away from her reach. She had lost her scroll somewhere during the escape. She was alone near the outside area where it had another name; the border of death. Weiss wasn't sure why she headed here of all safer places, such as the Upper-Class District. This situation wouldn't have happened if she was good enough in directions. Oh, wait, she was being chased by a mob of armed people.

Between them and these monsters of the dark, Weiss didn't know which one was worse.

If the white-haired girl could choose previously, she would never come here. Even at first, it wasn't her idea to join the party hosted by nobles. They're full of nonsense. Big talks full of fake smiles and courtesy, acting like they were on the highest level in this world. It's not like Weiss blatantly hate it, but the very thing has gotten boring over time. She wished they'd just leave her alone to her private singing and dancing practices.

Unfortunately for her, it was a royal invitation from the heir of Marygold Corporation, Henry Marygold. That meant she had little to no choice of not attending; doing so would be considered an insult and will drag along more troubles into her life and most importantly, her father's. Jacques Schnee wouldn't be pleased if he sees bad gossips about the Schnees out in the public-even though, so far, they had none if the hushed whispers didn't count.

So, it came to Weiss as a responsibility to uphold the name of their family. A very irritating responsibility. There were lots of pros and cons being a person with from a noble-birth, but with many things she possessed and the luxurious life she'd been living, the pros tipped the scale drastically.

The princess just had to deal with them.

Weiss hurled a handful of the volatile red powder, which immediately exploded on her enemies and scorched several of them. She knew she was running low. The girl didn't even dare to look at the small bottle in her tight grip. Somehow, she had used more than half of the content, but her enemies' number hadn't decreased. It might be a hallucination due to her injuries, but there were more of them right now, snarling and growling death promises.

She was tired. But her body still moved on autopilot against her numb mind. It seemed like an instinct of a well-trained person; continue fighting no matter what, until their last breath. Back then, Weiss was proud of that. She rarely gave up in the sparring matches with her partners unless it was a hopeless situation. The girl would always try everything at her disposal to gain advantage and eventually come out as the victor. It earned her a title:

The Die-hard Princess.

~-x-~

 _The dark-skinned young man smirked as he mock-saluted his opponent, who was trying to get up after being thrown by the loud soundwave. He fixed his sunglasses, still keeping an eye on her. His trumpet was ready to blast the loud note again that would've deafened anyone within proximity if it could get louder._

 _Meanwhile, Weiss tried her best to school a calm facade despite she half-wished and half-promised she'd use that stupid trumpet to club its owner's head. The man's name was Flynt Coal, one of the few superiors Weiss would admit. No matter how skilled the person was with his unorthodox choice of a weapon, he was annoying as always, just like in their previous matches. It was hard to accept the fact that more of them went to him instead of her._

 _They always competed in the yearly Atlas Regional Tournament; an elite tourney hosted by the military sub-division of Alsius Academy specifically for individuals gifted with fighting skills. Many people entered the tournament in hope to win fame and glory, while only a few were actually after the money prize. Here in Atlas, not many people were desperate for money; they were all rich._

 _Weiss' reason was, of course, same as the majority of the participants. However, she also wished to get as many experiences as possible, just like Winter had told her._

 _She had tried befriending every single participant out of courtesy and respect for their unique fighting abilities, even though calling them as her 'friend' still tasted strange on her tongue. For her, there were no friends. Only acquaintances and fellow students. A pity. All the years, Weiss was yet to understand what it meant to be friends with someone. Perhaps, it had something to do with the princess' title before her name that acted as a barrier._

 _It drove people away. They faked their smiles and greetings just for the sake of not getting on her bad side. Even then, young as she was, Weiss knew. But she ignored it._

 _She knew everyone well; including their weakness that she could exploit. They also knew and respected her. Everyone but Flynt Coal, for the last part. Since the beginning, it seemed the two had started off on the wrong foot, although Weiss could hardly take the blame. It was on her father, who monopolized the Dust market with his status as the CEO of SDC and the untold play of power using his 'Leader of Remnant' title._

 _Apparently, Flynt's father's small company was put out of business during that time, making them secretly despise the Schnees. She understood that part well enough, yet still couldn't help but nearly get provoked each time they sparred. Whenever he had won, she could expect what's to come from him; "That's all the money can get you."_

 _That's not even remotely true. Weiss angrily gritted her teeth and bit her tongue from making a rebuttal. As much as the words insulted her Schnee pride, she hadn't proved herself was better than him. She opted to keep silent. The only way to prove it was by defeating him. She checked her scroll. Her Aura was below half, while Flynt's still hovered above three-quarters. He was winning this match, and even it was only a sparring match._

 _The princess knew for sure; he'd give a real, harder fight in their coming qualification duels. How would she defeat him if she still lost this easy one? She had to try harder._

 _Mayhaps to win against an opponent like him, she had to start thinking of unconventional methods-something out of the box. Just like Winter had always said; know your opponent well, and you will win. Flynt had known her style and already adapted to it while she's still blindly trying to get used to his strong sound waves._

 _Weiss propped herself up using Myrtenaster held in both hands. Her opponent didn't budge from his position, just as his smug expression didn't. He was enjoying this so far. Flynt was lucky there's still an unspoken code in this academy; respect the superior, not the title. Here, Weiss' last name or her status didn't matter. Not even to grant her extra privilege. To everyone else, she was only a student, not a princess of the world._

 _She didn't mind. Honestly, it could compare like a break from the constant sickening stream of praises the noble families gave to her outside this prestigious academy. She could just be Weiss, the smartest girl who'd worked hard to achieve the fame. Which means, everyone was free to criticize-indirectly insult- her at any faults. It's an opportunity they used, without needing to fret over for insulting a powerful heir to the Schnee throne._

 _Not many of them did-nothing Weiss hadn't heard previously. As much as she hated and never willing to admit it, she took in some of their words and did a self-reflection for the betterment of her as a person. It's just those few sometimes get on her nerve, like Flynt._

 _This time, she will teach him a lesson._

 _After taking a deep breath, Weiss spun the revolver chamber in her rapier, making a ratcheting sound as she switched to ice Dust again She had an idea-an exhausting one, but it's worth trying and might be just what she needed right now. She had tried using several glyphs at once and zipped fast to avoid getting caught the soundwave, but Flynt pulled out an ace card by activating his semblance; Killer Quartet._

 _Just as the name suggested, the girl received four times as many as his previous attacks. It wasn't the best thing she'd ever experienced._

 _Safe to say, he'd immediately target her every time she tried to get closer. Weiss understood, Flynt concealed his weak point by forcing her to engage in a ranged exchange. If she closes the distance, it won't work for him anymore. To do that, she had to make a distraction-not anything like her previous ones; it turned out soundwaves could scatter the icicles before they reach their target._

 _Weiss would attack him from every direction, now. She narrowed her eyes and focused, creating more glyphs than she'd ever tried before. Her opponent smile didn't falter as he slowly turned around, realizing there was at least a dozen of glyphs surrounding them. What Weiss failed to notice, however, was the brief alarmed look in his eyes. He hadn't expected her to repeat her failed fighting style. There must be something behind this._

 _The girl maintained her glyphs, all of them spinning and waiting to unleash her might. She spun the revolver chamber again, for a twist in the plan. Now, it's lightning Dust type. Time dilation was a pretty exhausting glyph to conjure, even with Dust assistance. It could help accelerating her movement up, though. That way, she could catch him_ _off guard_ _._

 _Flynt Coal most certainly didn't expect this. He'd already brought up the trumpet to his lips when Weiss slashed at the empty air in front of her, yellow glow trailing from her blade. And that's when all hell broke loose. Instead of throwing out large ice chunks, the glyphs that surrounded them began firing thousands small, needle-shaped ice. His pupils shrunk. This girl's got to be kidding him._

 _The needles whistled as they zoomed toward the unfortunate young man. He couldn't deflect them all using his soundwave; he had to dodge. No matter how small they were, being peppered by thousands of needle would eventually wear his Aura down. Not to mention it'd be painful. Flynt leaped up into the air and somersaulted backward. He blew into his trumpet, allowing the soundwave blast to boost him._

 _Even as he dodged, narrowly missing some of them in the process, the trumpet user kept looking for his opponent. He frantically threw his gaze around while jumping once a while to avoid another wave of the needle storm. The princess was no longer there. Of course, she wouldn't._

 _That was part of the plan; Weiss thought during mid-air, Myrtenaster poised for a downward stab. She had used the distraction to get high up in the air-out of Flynt's field of view. Time dilation helped to speed up her movements, making up for her timing so that she wouldn't have to exhaust herself keeping up the distraction glyphs for a long time. The moment he'd realized her plan, it would be too late._

 _Flynt cursed inwardly and immediately activate his semblance once again as Weiss dove to earth, heading toward him. Three more copies of himself came and aimed their trumpet at the incoming princess. He inhaled deeply and set on the F note. A single soundwave roared out from each trumpet and joined into a big tornado of sound that'd permeate through the thickest walls. And they aimed it toward the princess._

 _Weiss was sure her eardrums would've ruptured if she has no Aura. Instead, she ignored the deafening boom and launched a streak of red light-fire Dust- toward him. It's a dangerous bet. Should the soundwave fires it back toward her, the plan would go down the drain. Unfortunately, for Flynt, the time glyph and Weiss momentum allowed the attack to pass through his soundwave and straight to him._

 _The fiery explosion was satisfying to her ears. Its powerful blast threw Flynt's form far away._

 _Weiss touched the ground safely, then went back immediately into her battle stance. Her opponent didn't fare well. He tumbled over the boundary and landed face-first, just next to his weapon. Some dark smoke steamed from his clothing but quickly vanished as he staggered back on his feet, still dizzy from the blast. They spoke no words as the bell rang; signaling the match was over._

 _She had won by knockout despite her Aura already hovered near twenty percent._

 _Flynt tipped his fedora toward her and smiled genuinely. "That was a gutsy move, Schnee. I dig it."_

 _Weiss stayed calm, even though she's inwardly jumping from delight. She finally came out as the proud victor. Still, she replied, "Thank you."_

 _The man smirked, picking up his fallen trumpet. "I guess that's more than the money can buy you. You know what; you're so persistent."_

 _He'd never stop annoying her; it was too much fun. Even though she didn't like it, from that moment, Weiss began considering him more than just an acquaintance or classmate. Maybe, just maybe, she'd found a friend-someone who'd seen her never once giving up until the end. In the end, 'The Die-hard Princess' had become a new title to her._

~-x-~

Now, Weiss hated that ephitet with all of her heart.

It had no use here when the enemies streamed endlessly to end her. For the first time in her life, she felt a frustrating desperation turning into a horrifying revelation; submission. Has her mind given up? If yes, then why couldn't her body just give up already? Why must she keep going on? Why couldn't she stop fighting and succumb to death? Was it stubbornness?

As ridiculous as it sounds, Weiss knew the truth. She couldn't keep this struggle up forever.

Her hand poured the very last of the red powder from the bottle. Blue eyes snuck a glance; it was empty. This remain of powder would be the girl's final assault before she succumbs to the Grimm. Weiss curled her fist tightly, not caring if she could've triggered an explosion by crushing the Dust powder. She felt numb. A Schnee doesn't cry. They face their death proudly with dignity.

Perhaps, this was what the poor commoners felt as they struggled to survives life in the unforgiving outsider region. They're not even at least trained to face off these monsters. They could only arm themselves with scraps. Meanwhile, she had a weapon and training, and even those only served as a fallback just in case the maximum security around her fails-which they did. However, after everything, she still failed. How ludicrous. Weiss stood taller. Suddenly, her doubt of the haunting death disappeared.

If those people perished, then why should Weiss protest about the same thing happening to her? Eventually, this would be her end.

Her story of life would halt here; lost in a forest full of deadly Grimm. Until one day they found her remains, no, she couldn't afford to think like that, even though it's true. Her name would cease to exist-save for a painful history in the Schnee family. Come to think about it, would they grieve for her? Winter might, but she wasn't sure about the rest. They weren't a warm family since the start; just a bunch of big apples rooted at one tree by their last name.

Could she be reborn? If she could, she'd choose a normal-not poor- civilian's life. At least, she knew her only enemies would be the Grimm. She wouldn't be hunted just like what had happened tonight, and that led her into this gruesome fight for survival. It wouldn't have come to this if she wasn't a noble princess at the first place.

The Beowolves surrounded her, like moths attracted to the flame. This flame was already dwindling and about to fade into darkness, however.

Weiss took another breath-it might be her last one. The princess savored the stench of burnt ashes, blood, decaying Grimm flesh, and everything else she could smell. They were contrastingly different but brought one clear message: _death_. She scattered the Dust toward her foes, then triggered another Aura-based explosion that burned them, for the umpteenth times. That's her final stand. Until-

A faint voice yelled as her consciousness slipped away, "Secure the VIP!"

Then, another one exclaimed, "Don't let those bastards get near her!"

"We've got her. I repeat, we've got her!" the first person yelled again.

In the dark void of her mind, the girl chuckled; _Fools. This girl is no longer a VIP._

~-x-~

* * *

 _ **AN:**_

In this story, I'll be using canon Weiss(obviously) but with several twists. In the canon, Weiss loves to sing and her father allows that. It's her training at Beacon that set him off. However, it's almost like a reverse here. Jacques insisted she has to learn to defend herself from many obvious things, yet he didn't like it when Weiss shows her love toward self-expression by dancing and singing, because she shouldn't be with her title. Hope this clears things up.

So, two more intros before Arc I. I'd have gotten this out sooner, but there had been some... gut-wrenching problems, to say at the very least. It's kinda emotionally draining me and heck, very, very exhausting! So, I lost the spirit to continue writing(can't write in bad mood). At least, it's getting better-only feeling numb right now-, and I learned a thing or two from it. *sigh*

I also had finished reading the fanfic that's pointed out in the review 'Picking Up the Pieces'. It's a very excellent dystopia AU and I had no idea why I wrote this since I shouldn't be advertising... much less something that's not even mine. But heck, screw it. Etheriell is an amazing writer, and I'm proud to say I'm inspired by him, now, even though I hadn't read his fic while writing this story. Seriously, you rock, dude.

Okay, as some of you could guess, the next Intro/Trailer would be Blake's, codenamed Nightshade. It should come out at a closer time, since it's already written. Funny thing is, I actually wrote it first before I even get started Ruby's. No idea why, maybe cuz I love Blake. xD

As always, critics are welcome. I've been working so hard(I spent almost 3 f*cking hours just to proofread this chapter!) so I hope this chapter would be better than Rose. Hopefully.

That's all, see you in the next trailer.

Peace out,

 **~ Kvithr**

P.S. I'm also preparing to rebirth my previously deleted fic, Amber & Chocolate. It's just, turns out I have a lot to fix in order to make it gullible. Rip xD

Jk, I'll actually post it, at an unknown later juncture.


	3. Intro III: Nightshade

Okay, a bit hurried here, but I'll be honest, still not making any meaningful progress on Yang's trailer (dubbed Sunflower). Sigh. Oh well.

* * *

Beta Reader: **Clementine Davidson** _._

* * *

Rated **M** – for gore and suggestive mentions, also a bit of foul language.

* * *

 _"Beautiful empty promise and horrifying threats, those two were what they always give... while they laugh watching us fight to the death over a scrap of meat like wild coyotes."_

Intro III:

 **Nightshade**

* * *

Screams for blood.

It was what she heard in this giant killing arena of Amity Colosseum. The cacophony was deafening, even more so when she had an extra set of ears barred plain to the world. Feline ears that had heard more than enough. The sounds of bloodthirst, the roar of approval after one limb or head tore off their place, and the dying screams of her fellow Faunus gladiators, killed by the superiors. She had enough.

It was awful.

However, Blake Belladonna was not a weak girl that would get her stomach upset at watching some grisly gore. She had seen things like this so many times. Too many, in fact. She had gotten used to the carnage seeing her kin became a cheap entertainment for a high-class gambling game. It was one of the worst options in this world when you didn't qualify as a Dust miner. There was still another option, though, that's being a slave rather than becoming a gladiator that would meet a brutal demise in the arena.

Yet, the Faunus girl in the frayed white cape did not choose that option. She knew; her friends had told her. A slave had their life guaranteed; it won't end abruptly in death as long as they don't make any trouble. However, it also meant they will do whatever their masters command to do. As far as she recalled, that 'whatever' includes every twisted thing told to them. One of that was satisfying their master's sexual needs whether it's normal or not. It doesn't matter if you are a girl or a boy, young or old, and worst of all, whether you're willing to or not.

If fighting was not something you can do, there is that last option. Of course, for those gifted with strength, they prefer to fight a short life rather than to spending the rest of their lives in the unforgiving, godforsaken wilderness of the Vacuoan desert for a stagnant yet still hazardous work to mine Dust. Gladiator is a dangerous job, however, those who prevailed quickly rise among the ranks, showered with praise and live a decent life. That way, they didn't have to worry about not having any food on the table.

What they need to worry about is; can they survive today for the unexpected tomorrow?

The girl swept her bangs aside, revealing a pair of the most stunning amber eyes the world had ever seen. They were calm and composed, betraying no weak emotion beyond them. For one to survive here, they have to stop using their hearts. A small hesitation will cost you your life. And she most certainly had survived for long; long enough to make some friends. Knowing that today might be the last time they see each other, alive. No matter how much she wished against, it was inevitable.

Why did she choose this terrifying path over those who's enslaved? Of course, she technically was a slave to her masters, the Winchester family. However, after seeing what her fellow Faunus friend, Velvet Scarlatina, had become, Blake swore on her last name to never become what humans used like toilets to relieve their needs. She would rather fight instead and die by her own kin's hands than degrade herself. Unfortunately for Velvet, she had never been given that choice. The rabbit Faunus was far beyond her help.

The clear overcast above Vytal Island marked the midsummer weather. Several long, thin, cirrus clouds made a striping pattern on the bright blue sky. For most people, it had a meaning of a good day prospect. But for every Faunus here; it's a mockery for their folks that died today. Why must they keep enduring this; being reminded that their place was lower than animals? Even the humans took a better care of their pets. Those people who called themselves as sentient beings still repair or do a maintenance for the droids. But them?

They were treated like _nothing_. No one bothered to activate their Aura since this tournament is a fight to the death. Once their injuries had become fatal, they will be shipped off somewhere no one has known. Yet, there was a rumor that they will be used as living experiments by one of the infamous companies in Remnant, the Schnee Dust Company. To any normal person, even the name reminds them of the questionable history behind this world's largest company. Rumors came by each time the company released a new product. It always took at least one Faunus life. One thing for sure; the moment you are out in this brutal tournament, they will take you away and never to return.

So each day, everyone prayed; may they never fall.

But not all prayers are granted. Just like the doe Faunus who'd lost his left arm to the opponent's sword in the current fight. He staggered, limping around with beads of sweat covering his exposed skin. The bleeding stump dribbled crimson liquid to the yellow sand ground of this twenty-thousand seated colosseum. All the Faunus fighters looked grim, knowing the moment will come and his life will end soon. They never cheer for the victors; neither the victors wanted to be cheered on by their comrades. They never wanted this. They never wished _any_ of this.

But if it is what it means to stay alive and see the next day, they will do everything. Fight and live, as they had said.

Ignoring the roaring spectators, Blake forced herself to stay calm. She had been through this a lot and one more death wouldn't change anything. The feeling of helplessness and wanting to run to save the unfortunate combatant will always be there, no matter how hard she quenched them down, she simply couldn't. Her bare feet rooted to the cold metal platform of her small cell. The room that kept her locked wasn't so big. In fact, it's just slightly taller than the tip of her feline ears. It reeked terribly from everyone's urine, feces, and blood. The effect was worsened by the fact that it formerly belonged to another Faunus that had been sent off after losing both his legs and eyes.

She prayed the same fate wouldn't befall her. But she knew it was an almost futile hope.

Amber eyes flinched away after the rusty blade sunk completely into the poor gladiator's exposed abdomen, tearing it open. The scream that followed afterward was blood-chilling, echoing in the arena like the cry of a Nevermore. She tried to distract herself by tracing the blood rust on her cell beams, but the image of his red glistening intestines stuck right in front of her eyes. It took the cat Faunus a few moment to gather her bearings, after hearing a collection of sighs from the cells adjacent to hers. Even then, she knew. It was over.

They will clean off his body soon enough, dumping it somewhere outside the city to feed the Grimm. Yes, once their usage was due and they're in a condition that's too disfigured for experiments, the Grimm will finish the bodies off, dying or dead already. Meanwhile, the commentators would give them a live result of the brackets and standings of each fighter of his week, before announcing the next randomized pool of match. And that would be the moment they dreaded the most, whether it's their name, their friend's, or the their opponent's called by.

The Faunus next to Blake groaned, "At least he gave Adam a run for his money."

And it was true. The bull Faunus, Adam, looked no better with the bleeding gashes across his limbs. He was still at the center of the arena, staying a bit longer to receive praises from the spectator and his master, Dr. Watts. Like every other Faunus, he didn't take them in but merely spat to spectator's direction. A minor insult to them, compared to one innocent life he had taken. The red katana that's his signature weapon was still dripping crimson blood. Most people would see it as an intimidating weapon, furthermore that it has taken not just Faunus lives, but also humans.

Adam Taurus; the name itself always struck terror in the hearts of everyone. His nickname, 'The Red Bull' was a reminder; as long as he got an armament in his disposal, he wouldn't stop killing. That was what everyone sees from outside. But behind his white mask, it's eating him from the inside like a parasite. People might have seen him as a cold-blooded killing machine. Blake used to see him in the same light too, before one day she saw him sitting cross-legged in the farthest cage. He was silent, but a single tear had fallen from his eye, coming out from hiding behind the mask cover. It was at that moment that Blake realised; Adam suffers.

The bull Faunus taught her how to fight better during break times; secretly, of course. It's actually hard to get a moment of privacy, but they spent whatever time they could wisely. The young man was no different when it was just two of them. He was still cold and merciless, but at least she understood his pain. They had done only three sessions, but Blake learned more than enough dirty tricks to use and counter. She wasn't proud of it. Adam told her way of fighting fair and just is impossible. So, in order to survive, she had to exploit them all to her advantage.

 _Survival of the fittest,_ Blake thought dryly. It finally meant something to her.

"...and now, we will have our tenth and final match of the week! Let's randomize the fighters! Prepare your bets, ladies, and gentlemen!"

Blake rose from her slumping position, as all the Faunus in their cages did. Those who had extra sets of ears will perk them up, trying to hear the announcer, Zero, as clear as possible. They simply prayed not to hear their names, then they can get a breather and rest until next week. It was already a cycle for them, including her. Despite her ability to fight, she had never got a match of her own. There were too many fighters here and most of them shone brighter than her, being favored into matches more often. While the cat Faunus didn't want it, she was desperate to be called into a fight. She wanted to live, but no longer.

Last night, she had heard Cardin's plan of selling her to the brothels at an interesting price, if she doesn't get called into a match today. Blake was, by any means, not an unpleasant looking girl. She has a long raven hair contrasting with her pale complexion. With her fair face, she'd fetch a good price and she knew it. Just a small contract paper and she will be thrown off by a new owner and begin a new life; becoming a sex toy. However, she prayed with all her heart, if there's still a god in this world that took a pity on her; _please, free me from this horrifying nightmare._

And maybe today, her prayer was heard by whoever they are.

A ping resonated in the whole stadium; signaling the end of the randomized sequence. Everyone in the cells took a deep breath, wondering who's going to die next. Blake did, as well.

"Here is the last match: our infamous 'Wolverine' Tukson versus a newcomer, Blake 'Nightshade' Belladonna!"

While it was silent down here save for a collection of relieved sighs, the people above ground went wild. They always love spectating newcomers. Some of them usually brought surprises, while those who didn't meet their impromptu end in interesting ways from the superiors. Entertainment, as they said.

Blake took a shaky breath she didn't know was holding. This felt unreal. Part of her was thrilled, despite her heart already told her she wasn't getting out from this alive. Her opponent is well-known as a fierce and good fighter, albeit nowhere near Adam. The 'Wolverine' had won four matches during his career here and all of them ended with him taking out his opponent's heads. Meanwhile, she had never fought anyone saves for sparring using dummies. Half her mind wondered; is her head going to grace the kill spearheads today?

"Blake, it's time," Adam said, snapping her out from her daze.

Amber eyes blinked. He was standing before her cage with several droids flanking him. The deadly katana wasn't present in his hands. A cuff took its place instead, accompanying the electrical-shock collar coiled around his neck. It was a standard procedure to have every fighters weapons-free and bound after their matches. The rule applied after a group of Faunus nearly took over the stadium five years ago using night time as their environmental advantage. They nearly succeeded and said to had released several numbers of their kin to the wilderness; few that got caught back. She wondered if that'd happen ever again.

Honestly, a life in the forest full of Grimm didn't sound so bad compared to this.

Her cage door opened with a rusty creak. Blake closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then stepped outside. Today, it'll be a turning point in her life; seventeen years of suffering. She's Blake Belladonna, even though she never knew who her parents are, she must not back away. Unfortunately, she's never brave enough. No matter how much she tried, she still wanted to run away. It's who she was; a coward. But why did she do this bold action?

Adam said nothing as his fellow Faunus crushed him in a desperate hug. He knew she's scared. Of course, their training would help, but even they both have a feeling; today she won't come back. Her opponent was an experienced fighter who had won more matches than even himself; he'd only won three including this victory. Which, he actually didn't count considering his opponent was barely at the same level with him. Still, he went easy on the doe Faunus, trying to honor him. But Tukson wasn't going to do the same to Blake.

Worse, the bull Faunus wanted her. He wanted her to survive and stay by his side. He wanted her perfect amber eyes open to see another day. He wanted to feel her lustrous long hair and delicate skin... and still much more. Alas, it's impossible. Even if she wins and survive every opponent thrown at her while he does the same, they'll be set against each other one day. He knew he can kill her, but he wasn't sure if she can kill him on the other hand. Those eyes, they were so innocent. And it seems they were on the same page in this matter; Blake never wanted this despite her fighting skill. It'll be her undoing.

If only he had his weapon and not restricted by the bindings, he would've fought and try to get them both out of here alive. But right now, all he could do was stand still as the girl cried softly on his shoulder. Maybe, it's time to say goodbye. He promised, whoever crosses his way on his future matches won't get a quick end if Blake doesn't. They're probably not lifetime friends, but they knew each other better than anyone else. If it wasn't her, he wouldn't have shared his pain and misery. He did because he trusted her. And to think of losing the only person he could trust; it's unbearable.

Blake broke away from their embrace. Her glazed eyes stared sternly into the slits of his mask. She'd never felt this bold, closing her eyes in making the choice she wouldn't regret. It's now or never. The cat Faunus tip-toed to reach his height. She leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers. Part of her was scared he'd pull away or worse, shove her aside and told her to behave like a fighter, not a wimpy little girl. Adam surprised her and destroyed those thoughts by doing one thing; he leaned in and pressed his cracked lips hungrily, as if he never got enough of hers.

"Tukson has entered the arena and is now waiting for his next victim. Our question is; where's the other fighter?" the intercom announced.

They broke apart. Blake was gasping for air, while Adam simply exhaled wearily after their kiss. Yet, the fiery blaze in their eyes could be seen to any eyes of a human. Unfortunately, the robots weren't humans. They didn't react at all to the contact between the two; they're only programmed to keep order and prevent the prisoners from doing anything dangerous. That doesn't mean they're willing to wait for the lovers, though. Those still in their cages could only witness the bull and cat Faunus expressing their intimacy without commenting. It's hard to love someone you know and let them go willingly to their death.

The AK-130s pulled out their weapons in warning and told them in a robotic voice, "Fighters, go to your respective directions. This is an order."

Gritting his teeth, Adam let himself get dragged by one of the droids. He threw one last angry glance at Blake. The cat Faunus was unfazed. She gave him a sad, resigned smile. This was where it all comes to an end.

"Goodbye," she told him.

Without waiting for a reply, she turned away and walked, following her escort captors up to the ground level of this colosseum. The sand crunched gently under her bare footsteps. It's a welcoming feeling that reminded her when she was small... of a vague scene when she was on the beach. Strange, that was a bleak memory. She couldn't pinpoint where it came from. Perhaps it's a lost childhood memory. It didn't matter; she just needs to focus on this match. She had to try her best against all odds. Then again, her previous prayer was heard; why not this one?

She wanted to win and survive.

The glaring sun rays slapped her face when she arrived at the east entrance gate of the Colosseum. This is Vytal Island; the sun was practically above their heads. Amity Colosseum wasn't a technologically advanced stadium. It's built just several years after the Great War as a reminder of Mantle and Mistral's victories over Vale and Vacuo. The Colosseum's most prominent architectural design was the tall stone collonades encircling the arena, hosting seats for thousands of people with a main headstand for the announcer. Aside from the four giant holographic screens to see the match randomizer, it only had a simple security of screen shield to protect the spectators from any stray objects thrown by the fighters.

It was said that they planned to upgrade the arena to has a floating capability with headlights for night fights, but so far, the plan was yet to put into motion. No one cared anyway, as long as they got their demand of horrendous deaths. It wasn't like upgrading the whole stadium would change anything.

"Ah, here she is, the challenger of Tukson with her pretty look and obviously, an interesting secret she hides underneath that cape! Honestly, who wouldn't love to have like someone like her in their beds, huh? A shame that it appears she'll be knocked _out_ today before even getting knocked _up_!"

The suggestive taunt didn't faze her at all. Blake kept walking gingerly, making her way to the center of the arena to meet the person who most likely was going to end her life today. The hot sand burned her bare feet, but she ignored it. They were just like the spectators' yells; nothing but annoyance. And she wouldn't let them distract her. Better to get this over with sooner than later. She didn't enjoy the feeling of being a limelight. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back to her cage and curl herself into sleep, wishing everyone else to leave her alone.

It's not happening, though.

Blake threw her cape off. The yellowish white fabric fluttered in the air before landing on the sandy ground. Most people already turned their focus to her upper torso or more precisely; her cleavage. It's not blatantly revealed, but rather suggestively shown by her sleeveless dark blue undershirt that featured diamond holes design on the chest part. Her lean and toned midriff was exposed to the air and she welcomed the breezy feeling. While her purple-black leggings were pretty snug, they covered everything from the waist down. At least, they won't hinder her movements.

"Ready?" the announcer asked. "3!"

"Try to win, young girl," Tukson called out to her from the other side. "But I tell you; I won't go down without a fight."

"2!"

Blake asked mockingly in return, "So, are you going to fight back?"

Hazel eyes widened at her taunt. However, the shock was quickly replaced by fury as he exclaimed, "Yes!"

"1! Begin!"

Tukson jerked both his hands, and the nails grew up into sharp dark-colored claws. He ran at her, then jumped swiftly to close their distance. Sand dust flew up. With a yell, he swung his arms for a double slash. Blake's eyes widened. It was a close call. She leaped backward at the last moment before the claws could make contact.

But the charge didn't stop right there. He continued, chasing after her. The cat Faunus cursed silently. She was being pressured. He took control of the tempo and tried to pin her under control. Only reflexes and good reaction that allowed her to nimbly avoid one assault after another. Yet, she couldn't keep this up forever. It was exhausting her stamina real quick.

He is experienced. The only way to win against someone light on their feet is to keep them from outmaneuvering him. That also meant he had to limit their movements. The Faunus girl seemed to notice that because she tried so hard to break out from his grasp. Like hell he's going to let her. Again, his right hand swiped at empty air whereas a few moments ago, it could've cut through her flesh like hot knife through cheese.

She was fast. That means he had to corner her.

Blake jumped away after doing a full roll on the sandy fighting ground. The girl could tell she'd lost a few strands of her hair to Tukson's claws. It wasn't an important problem right now. She must find a way to at least fight him instead of running around with no plan. Their lives were both in her hands. If either one of the fighters failed to entertain the spectators, the androids would come in and force them to fight.

If they still failed to, then both of them will be killed right away during the fight by those machines, making a draw. As much as she didn't like the prospect of dying, she didn't want to drag anyone else down with her unnecessarily. She knew nothing was ever personal between the fighters, and she wasn't that terrible. If every single one of they could live and change the world, she wouldn't mind dying.

Tukson started to get annoyed. This small girl had been putting up a good job of evading most his attacks. He wondered; was she trying to stall in their fight? Didn't she know what will happen if she keeps this up? Or so he thought, as Blake finally reached an old rusty sword that looked like it would break before she could swing it. The cat girl shook the sand off her raven hair. Amber eyes narrowed as she took a defensive stance.

Growling in anger, the 'Wolverine' approached his opponent warily. His patience was running low. All he wanted was not to get into a fight today, yet here he was, being toyed around by her in a chase-the-cat game. Looks like it was coming to an end, though, seeing how she reversed her grip in precaution. He'd fought armed people before, it was never too difficult to disarm their weapons.

Behind the cage he had been thrown into, Adam gripped the steel bars tightly until his fingers hurt. It did nothing to the bars, not even a dent. The bull Faunus had never been so wound up before when witnessing a fight. Most of the times, he simply ignored them as long as it wasn't his name that got called. Only if the fight was intense or brutal, he did spectate them to learn the fighters mistakes and possible weak points that he could exploit to his advantage in future clashes.

Yet, beyond those slits of his mask, Adam's eyes never peeled off the arena. Or to be precise, Blake's lithe figure. She had been doing several light attacks in retaliation against her opponent, but so far, none of them found their target. The 'Wolverine' was too ferocious and quick to counter them, forcing the smaller girl to watch where she stepped. They both know how easy it was to overpower her should she get too close.

Fortunately for Blake, she had luck on her side. However, no one knew how long she could keep this up. Sooner or later, she would fall. Tukson forced himself to calm down and be patient. He usually had a cool head, calculating every action. He wasn't a chess player, no, but he could force his opponents to make mistakes and punish their faults. This girl was different, though.

~-x-~

Everyone's eyes never strayed from the fighters at the arena. Some of them weren't so satisfied, but most still kept on cheering for a particularly favored fighter. Under the dull roar and the glaring sun that burned into the muscles underneath their skins, the exhausted fighters still continued their fight between life and death. They've been fighting for more than ten minutes, while the automated elimination procedure was just five minutes away. They need to hurry.

Blake clutched her left side with her ragged breathing providing a warning of her terrible state. A deep gash marred her waist thanks to a lucky shot. It bled a lot, and the blood already began seeping out from her fingers, no matter how tight she pressed her hand against the wound. The girl gritted her teeth and struggled to stand balanced, even though her knees were wobbling. It was deep.

Scratches were things she had gotten used to, but this pain was distracting her from thinking clearly. The rusty blade hung low on her right side. It was suddenly getting too heavy for her to pose it up. Beads of sweat trailed down her skin, from the heat and fatigue. Whereas she had an unlocked Aura, it would've been completely depleted. Fortunately for her, Tukson decided to take a breather.

The man had only suffered two minor gashes on his face, but the blood drippings limited his sight, distracting him over time. He wiped them every once, but there was no sign of stopping. Whatever she did, she succeeded forcing him to consider her as a worthy opponent. He'd tip-off his hat to her for putting up quite a long fight.

Alas, it was coming to a conclusion, now.

Adam breathed deeply into his mask while his face pressed against the bars. It will be over, soon. Just like every match he'd seen previously. Strange, he always hated them and wished they could end fast enough so that he could get some necessary rest. He wasn't a religious man. If there were any gods in this world, why did they forsake it and let the humans corrupt it? But for this one, he prayed:

 _Please, don't let her die._

The girl in his prayer tried to walk forward, but another wave of agony washed over her from the wound. She let out a cry of pain. Her limbs failed. The sword fell out from her grasp and thudded against the ground. A moment later, she dropped onto her knees, before coming down into a fetal position. She was like a dying wounded animal, wanting to tend to her wounds alone and shut the world outside. The amber eyes fluttered close while she was losing both the fight; the torturous pain and her opponent.

He sighed. It's over.

"Oh ho! The Nightshade has fallen!"

The spectators went wild. Most of them started chanting 'kill her!' with their fingers crossed on their necks in decapitating motion.

Blake's half-lidded eyes watched as Tukson strode purposefully toward her, intending to finish her off. He didn't look happy nor satisfied. His grim expression only matched by the frowning hazel eyes with stripes of blood gracing his right side forehead. The man had his hair matted flat on his head, from sweat and blood. It was slick, reflecting the sun's glare.

Hers didn't look any better despite the lack of the crimson life fluid.

The bull Faunus stared angrily at his downed lover, wordlessly willing her to wake and get up to face her opponent once more. If only there wasn't any blockage between them, he'd have burst out from his cage and run over to her side. Screw the security androids, they were so easy to take down with his katana: Wilt. His eyes were trained on the towering form of Tukson over Blake.

Goodbye, she said that previously. Was it literally? Why did she give up too easily? Or maybe, he'd overestimated-no, expected too much from her.

Unbeknown to everyone else, Blake wasn't done fighting.

She did it on purpose, waiting for Tukson to lower his guard. The sword was still in her range; she could grab the hilt anytime. What she needed was a distraction in order to buy her a chance in his defense. And then, she would thrust it into his guts. She always wanted to win fairly, but it turned out this world wasn't mean just for the strongest, but also the most wicked. She hated doing this, but with her life at stake, it was the only choice.

"Well, this is sad. I'm sorry, but I have choice. Good fight, girl," he said.

Blake's body tensed as he took the sword. This wasn't the part of her plan. She needed it to kill him. Behind the bars, Adam tensed as well. All eyes in the Amity Colosseum locked on the sword that the 'Wolverine' slowly rose up, showing to the camera that he was using his opponent's weapon to kill her. Breaths held as they waited in anticipation.

The cat Faunus panicked. This situation was taken out from her hands. She turned her body to face Tukson and whimpered while her hand came up in a pathetic attempt to shield herself from the impending doom. Suddenly, she became a small, frightened girl once again. She was scared of death. She wanted to run away from this destiny. She wanted to be born a human. She was weak, unable to fend herself against others.

All she could do right now was to experience what it felt being wiped off the Remnant's face after Tukson uttered two words, "I'm sorry."

The whole world was screaming for her blood; it sounded so pathetic yet funny at the same time. He moved her shield arm gently using the flat of the sword. Blake's hand fell limp while she squinted to the shadow of death that slowly descended on her. Adam breathed heavily; was she giving up already? She only loses if she did. He knew there was always a way against all odds.

Tukson rose his sword arm in slow motion, ready to deliver a final blow of death. As much as he hated taking her life, he'd rather get this done faster. He wanted a good rest. The gladiator seasonal tourney was already mid-way. He'd have to survive until coming years, and his opponents weren't getting any easier. The winning Faunus most certainly didn't expect a surprise in this fight. The metal blade came down with a whistle, aiming to separate her head from its place.

It came clean off.

However, much to his shock, the decapitated body turned into a dark mist before evaporating away. It was just a shadow. Hazel eyes widened, wondering where she went. Tukson whirled around, trying to brace any attack from behind. He only met Blake's limping figure rising up unsteadily. Somehow, she managed to escape death. Said girl briefly studied her hands in wonder.

 _What just happened?_ She remembered trying to run away from her fate and with sheer luck, managed to do so.

"Oh, it appears the Nightshade still has a trick upon her sleeve! This is quite unexpected!" the commentator, Zero, exclaimed in excitement. Everyone else but the Faunus agreed with him.

Adam couldn't believe his eyes. The moment that sword bit into her neck, he knew it was over. Yet, Blake surprised him by materializing out from the dark mist a few feet away from her dead clone. She never told him that she had that ability. All he knew, every single tourney fighter had no Aura, much less an incredible power like hers. Perhaps, after all, he could put more hope in her. There was a feeling in his guts, she could win this.

The 'Wolverine' growled in displeasure. This was new. He had fought stronger and faster opponents, but never someone who could make decoys. She shouldn't have had any special ability. It was unfair; he didn't like the odds turning against him. He threw the rusty sword away, preparing to get back in the brawl. No matter what, it seemed she didn't expect to survive at all. He could still win if he didn't let her get used to that second wind.

Tukson charged her head on after bellowing a fearsome battle cry. It would've been intimidating, even for Blake. However, she stood her ground. Amber eyes narrowed on her raging foe. The tingly sensation on her skin muted the painful throb. Just for this moment, she ignored her agony. This was a chance; live or die. And she's willing to give it a try.

The man was on her within the blink of an eye, delivering his promise. Blake jumped, and then she somersaulted backward before landing on all four like a cat. He paused a moment after realizing it was another shadow that fell to his claws. The girl used that delay to grab a handful of sand in both her hands. It was one of the most common dirty tricks to blind your opponent using the sand, and most of the fighters already knew it.

Still, she prayed Tukson wasn't prepared for this, or simply was too distracted to notice her trick.

Unaware of her trap, Tukson dashed once again to her position. This ends now. Little did he know, it was a grave mistake. He tried to catch her, but Blake was faster. The girl evaded him easily. She whispered an inaudible apology before throwing the sand in her hands straight into his face. The small granules sprayed into his eyes, blinding him temporarily. He struggled, caught off guard.

"Ragh!"

She could've just stood over there as he covered his blinded eyes. But she knew this wasn't just a fight. It is kill or be killed. There will be no mercy. She snatched a dagger that was half-buried in the sand. Her legs tensed as she prepared to pounce on him. However, being an experienced fighter, Tukson could sense her attack. One hairy arm shot straight at her neck, choking her. He slowly rose her up using his strength, making her feet float in the air.

Blake struggled to breathe, her eyes locked with his. One thing he failed to take account into the dagger.

"I am... so... so-sorry," she croaked with great difficulty.

Shink.

Hazel eyes widened while he let out a gasp. The blade was buried deep in his abdomen. His strangling hand's strength lessened; just in time as Blake started to see stars dancing in her sight. Her bare feet finally touched the sand back. She dropped onto her knees and coughed, wheezing as she forced her sore throat to supply a massive intake of air to her lungs. Meanwhile, her opponent staggered backward, both hands went to clutch at the dagger's hilt. His face betrayed the pain.

The intercom announced, "Unbelievable, the Nightshade has just delivered a fatal stab to her opponent. It seems we were wrong the whole time, ladies and gentlemen. She was more than just a pretty face. Now, who would agree with me that she will become one of the greatest gladiators here?!"

If a few minutes ago, the whole stadium was cheering for her death, now they roared in approval to finish Tukson off. The cat Faunus unconsciously shivered after the man collapsed backward and lied still on the ground. It was both scary and amazing of how quick they changed sides to disregard the loser. She felt sorry for him; now his name was just a history. Or worst, it would turn into dust and then nothing.

In the other side, she was grateful being given another chance to live by her shadow clone ability. This was a cruel world, after all.

Adam had never praised any victor of the fights. But just for this once; he smiled. Not a wide one of happiness. He wasn't a man who smiled a lot. When your life was a gladiator, you would never do more than a smirk or sneer. This was the first time he genuinely smiled of satisfaction and pride. His friend survived and won her first fight. There will be more future for them and he hoped to teach her everything he could.

Then, if one day they are to fight against each other... perhaps he could sacrifice himself for her. His smile disappeared at that thought. No, perhaps they were destined for great things: him and her. There must be something that could be done. If she could win against the odds, why wouldn't they try to set themselves free?

Despite her hurting side, Blake approached her downed opponent. Her eyes were glistening with tears from the pain and sorrow that she had to take her kin's own life. So, this was what it felt to be the winner. She knelt on his side, seeing the blood had spread through the fabric of his tattered shirt. He tilted his head to better see her. A crimson smile spread on his lips.

The whole stadium roared. Her feline ears caught some of the words; _"Do it!"_

Tukson rasped, "Well fought, Nightshade. I'm glad my last fight is a good one." He grunted in pain, "Ugh, nice trick, by the way."

 _"Finish him off!"_

It was hard to hear him under the loud roar from the spectators. And it was even harder to keep her voice level as she replied, "I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen."

 _"End him!"_

"Shut your pretty little face. If you hesitate any longer, they'd call the security droids and shoot you. Just make it quick."

 _"KILL HIM!"_

Blake nodded. She shut her eyes tight and let a single tear fell. Her slim hand knew the dagger's position. It briefly touched Tukson's before his fell limp on the sand. Holding her breath, she grasped the hilt. And then pulled. He let out a loud agonized groan. Amber eyes opened back, and she eyed his chest, weakly rising up and down with the wound.

 _I am sorry, Blake thought._

With that, she sunk the blade in once more. He let out a final gasp, before going still. The fight announcer declared her victory, yet she didn't hear him. The cheers of approval were deafening, but she was deaf. Instead, what she heard was a faint dull thump from a droplet of blood splattering against the sand.

It stained the earth red.

~-x-~

* * *

 **AN:** Adam's pretty much a character I actually like. It's a shame he's portrayed as a baddy in many fics, without revealing his inner mechanism. He'll still be the Adam we know here, though, albeit a little different.

I got difficulties. Be it on writing or life. So yeah.

Hopefully, I can manage.

~ **Karvost (Kvithr)**


End file.
